Trap-gun.



G. D. LOVELACE.

TRAP GUN.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1913.

1,098,742. Patented June 2,1914.

Abbesb -iii::;- inventor:

Ggmwg %%%1 777 yd? Abbvs.

; {magma oHARtEs tovnt'eon, or sen enoatorr'exes;

TAQFFICE, I

' ran-Gun.

"To all whom it ma concern: Be it known that I, CHARLES 'D'. LOVELAGE,

- .'ments in Trap-Guns, of which the following is a full,"clear, and exact description, refer- .Lencej being had to "the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

" My'invention relates to that character of fl Idfire arms designed'to be set in the hauntsof wild animals to be fired by the animals a V- forself destruction.

The present invention has for its object v to produce a trap gun of marked simplicity and which may therefore be manufactured I: and sold. at minimum cost. 7

Figure-I is a view of my-trap gun shown ,j ijr go partly in side elevati'onpand partly inver- .jticallongitudinal section. gFig. II is a verrticalflcross section. takenyon line lI-II, gFigflIp In the drawings:', 1, designates the breech 1 block of my gun, which; has formed inte- I gral with it areceiver=2that is open at its I bottom and comprises a top -member, side.

w wallszand rear end wall. The breech block contains alongitudinalaboreB for thelham- 3o mer of the gun and is provided at its front end'jwith the cavity'& *inpwhich the barrel of-the' gun is snugly seated.

i3 5 designates: the barrel of the gun which Q is separably fitted to'the breech block by entrance into the cavity 1, the wall-of s i fcavityiand the exterior of the barrel 'at its rear end being plain'surfaced, vthereby per 7 mittingof the barrel being readily slipped -into position in the cavity;v The barrel is -connectedto the breech'block by; asimple l1 straight retaining pin '6, which extends 5 through a transverse hole in the breech block and'occupies registering transverse grooves,

one of whichis located zi'n the wa as cavity l and the other off-jwhich is infthe barrell5. I'The retaining pin 6 is preferably pscrew threadedto engage a screw thread in ithe hole that receives it and is provided with -ra" handle 7 bygwhich the pin may be I V 1 grasped to position it in thehole provided 1i; "therefor and in the registering grooves .in

the barrel and breech block. 7

a sfdesignates the hammer of my gun' operabl'e in'the bore 3-within the'breech and-extending into "the'greceiver "2. The

e mas provided 'at1its'forwa1id end with spring bei g retained in such condition 35 I block v toward "the hammer, and the sear will at 1: I f t a firing pin'9 and at its rear end "with a I hollow head 10' containing a transverse I pinll. U V 1 12 1s a hammer retracting rod extending longitudinally of thewreceiver Qand through.

an opening in the rearwall of. said re-' ce1ver,' the rod being provided with'ahan dle 13' that may befgrasped to draw the retractingrod 'rearwa'rd'ly in the'act of setting the hammer. 'Ihe retracting rod extends into the hollow head of "the hammer 8 and is cut away to accommodate the transverse pin '11 in the rear end ofsaid head to permit the: longitudinal movement of the hammer independently of the retracting pinwhen the hammer moves'forwardly for car-1". 1 vtridge exploding'actio-n as will hereinafter 7 more fully appear. At the forward end 'ofjf' Y. the cut away portion of the retracting rod is a lug 15 that engages the pin .-1;1. when,.' the retracting rod isbeing draWnrear-C .wardly to: set the hammer. jf l f 16 designates ahammeroimpellingspring; surrounding the retracting r od"12 and lo-' g j cated between the-headofthe hammer and; the rear wall of" the receiver 2. This springi; is contracted and placed under tensionwhen I the hammer 'is retracted bythe rod .12, :the'

while the hammerfis held retracted through I the medium 'ofthe sear about tof be described. f JBefore describing-"the searjrof my'gun I would Inentionthat the hammer .8 is provided with a shoulder '8. -:Which faces for-j i wardly and preferably extends at a :right Q angle to theaxis of the har'nmen; r V I 17 designates 'theisearjadapted' to engage li the shoulder-8f of thef hammer to hold fit-rev I tracted. The scar is Earrangedt inv the re ceiver 2 upon a transverseipivotpin QO, and-,5 thelsear is. adaptedfto bef'moyed so thatits i l? inner arm may be disposed in the path of; f movement'of the shoulder 8 on therhammer, V The inner" armof the sear is-rprovided with ioof a curved rear face '18 preferably '.concentric" with the pivotpinf20 on which the'ifsearif turns, and'said arm is cut awayin frontj. Y f at 19. s .i' 21is an abutmentifixed to the receiverfi2 by which the forward-movement of, the inner arm'of the sear is limited when the latter is? I I placed in position to rest'rain'the hammer'of j my gun in retracted position. When-thej hammer' of myi gun Tis being retracted the sear is adjusted to; dispose the front 'facef19 mer, as illustrated in Fig. I, such adjustment being limited by the abutment 21 so "that the sear will hold the hammer in retracted position. To release the sear from hammer restraining position its outer arm is moved forwardly, thereby causing the inner arm of the sear to move rearwardly until the forward. end of the curved face 18 has become separated from the shoulder 8 of the hammer at which time the cutaway face 19 of the sear will be presented to the shoulder portion of the hammer and the hammer is impelled forwardly by the spring 16 to explode the cartridge in the barrel of the gun.

22 is a sear operating rod pivotally connected at 23 to the outer arm of the sear 17 and extending forwardly to a point beyond the muzzle of'the gun barrel. This rod is preferably provided at its forward end with a hook to which bait may be applied. An animal attempting to secure the bait applied to the sear operating rod draws said rod forwardly to a sufficient degree to shift the sear until the hammer of the gun is released, and provision being made for the animal being located in front of the muzzle of the gun barrel when it attempts to secure the bait, it receives the missile discharged from the gun and is killed thereby.

24 designates a guide leg depending from the breech block 1 of my gun through which the sear operating rod 22 extends, the guide leg being provided with a vertical slot 25 for the reception of said rod.

To adapt my gun foruse in killing differ ent sized animals I provide an adjustable auxiliary guide device upon the guide leg 24 and through which the sear operating rod 22- is ;operable. This device comprises a guide plate 26 fitting against theguide leg and containing a vertical slot 27. The plate 26 is held in positions to which it is adjusted by a bolt 28 and nut 29, the bolt extending through the slots in the leg 24 and plate 26. The head of the bolt bears against one of the said members and the nut bears against the other member. By vertical adjustment of the guide plate 26 I am enabled to readily l raise or lower the sear operating rod so that its forward end, on which the bait is placed, will be properly positioned relative to the muzzle of the gun barrel according to the size of the animal for which the gun is set. The auxiliary guide device just described is advantageous for the further reason that the vertical slot therein permits of the bolt and nut 28 and 29 by which the slotted plate 26 is held being adjusted to any desired position throughout the length of the slot in the plate to provide an upper adjustable abutment that will limit the vertical movement of the sear operating rod 22 to the proper do gree only, with just sufficient play of the sear operating rod to permit its actuation.

7 My trap gun is preferably mounted on a swivel fork 80 to which the breech block is tiltably attached and the swivel fork is supported by a' post or leg 31 that may be conveniently forced into the ground at the point where the trap gun is set.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a breech block, a hammer operable in said breech block, means for impelling said hammer in a forward direction, a sear pivotally connected to said breech block, the said sear having an inner arm provided with a curved rear face adapted to be engaged by said hammer when the latter is retracted, and means for limiting the forward movement of the inner arm of said sear to prevent forward movement of said hammer without rearward movement of the inner arm of the sear to disengage its curved surface from said hammer.

2. A device of the character described comprising a breech block, a hammer operable in said breech block, means for impelling said hammer in a forward direction, a sear pivotally connected to said breech block, the said sear having an inner arm provided with a curved rearface adapted to be engaged by said hammer when the latter is retracted, the inner arm of the sear being cut away in front of its curved face to permit the forward movement of the hammer when said inner arm is thrown rearwardly, and means for limiting the forward movement of the'inner arm of said sear to prevent forward movement of said hammer without rearward movement of the inner arm of the sear to present the front cut away portion thereof toward said hamshoulder of said hammer when the hammer is retracted, and means for limiting the forward movement of the inner arm of said sear to prevent forward movement of said hammer without a rearward movement of the inner arm of the sear to disengage its curved surface from the shoulder of said hammer.

A. A device of the character described comprising a breech block having a receiver extending rearwardly therefrom, a hammer operable in said breech block and extending intosaid receiver, means for impelling said "hammer in a forward direction, a sear pivo ,otally mounted. in said receiver, the said] sear having an inner arm PIOVldGdQWlth a' curved rear face adapted to be engaged by "said hammer when the latter is retracted, Rand an"abutmenti fixed to said receiver adapted to be engaged by said sear to pre- Lvent forward movement 'of'its inner arm to a degree sufficient to permit forward move 'ment of the'hammer while the inner arm of "the sear is in a forward position, thereby frequiring rearward movement of the inner arm'of the sear to release the hammer from engagement with the curved rear face-of.

said sear. I 7 V 5; A, device of the character described 7 comprising abreech block, a barrel secured to said breech block, a hammer operable insaid breech block a scar by which said hammer 'is held in retracted positionna sear ,7 operating rodya main guide member for said sear operating rod, and an auxiliary rod guiding member adjustably secured tosaid fmainguide member. 7 v

7 6. A device of the characterdescribed comprising a breech block, a barrel secured -t'o saidbreech block, a hammer operable in,

copies of this patent maybe obtained r Gsaidfbreechblock, a sear bywhich said hamnreris held in retracted position, a sear operating rod,v a malnvguide member for said operating rod, and a slotted auxiliaryd said main guide member.

7.'A device of, he character described rod-guiding member adjustably secured to comprising a breech block, a barrel secured to said breech block, a hammer operable in operating rod, a main guide member forsaiol sear operatlng rod an auxlliary rod gu dlng member fitted to. sa d main guide member,

and a set bolt whereby said auxiliary "rod; f i

secured to;

guiding member is adjustably' said main'guidemember, I V

8. A device of the character described comprising fiubIGBCll'blOCk, a barrel secured.

' said breech block, a searby which saidhfam mer is held in retracted position, a scar w to said breech block, a hammer operable in.

said breech block; a sear by vwhich said hammer isheld in a retracted position, a sear operating rod, a main slottedguide member through which 'said'sear'. operating rod extends a slotted auxiliary rod guiding plate fitted to said main guide member,'and means for holding said rod guiding plate in positions of varying adjustment'longitu dinally of the slot in said main guid i 1 her. 7 V

CHARLESD, LOVELAOE.

In the presence of .C. R. HALLMARK,"

'N, S. Rmns.

or five-cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents; Washington,D.G.". 7 

